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New York Times Chairman To Retire And Turn Over Control Of Paper To His Son

The New York Times Schools For Tomorrow Conference

(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The New York Times)

Marlo Safi Culture Reporter
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The chairman of the New York Times Co., Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., is retiring and passing on control of the company to his son, the New York Times announced.

Sulzberger, Jr., 69, was publisher of the Times for more than 25 years and was chairman since 1997. His son, A.G. Sulzberger, 40, has been publisher of the Times since 2018 and is the latest generation of the family to take over in its nearly 125 year ownership of the paper, according to CNN.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 21: Chairman of New York Times Company Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. attends NY Times Cities For Tomorrow Conference on July 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for New York Times)

The family has controlled the company since they purchased it in 1896.

Sulzberger, Jr. will return officially December 31 after overseeing significant changes in the paper, including taking it from black-and-white to color printing, and facing challenges to print media as readers shift online. 

“Serving this essential institution and working alongside so many gifted journalists over the years has been the privilege of my life,” Sulzberger Jr. said in a statement, according to the paper. “There’s an old saying, ‘Laurels are nice to wear, but never to rest upon.’ I know A.G. will not rest in his drive to empower our journalists and expand the scope of The Times’s ambitions. And with a dynamic new C.E.O. and the best executive editor in the business, I depart knowing the best is yet to come.”

The Times has faced frequent criticism by President Donald Trump, who often refers to the paper as “the failing New York Times.” In May, Trump referred to A.G. Sulzberger and executive editor Dean Baquet in tweets, calling the Times a “total mess.” (RELATED: Media Rushes To Police Criticism Of Kamala Harris)